This invention relates in general to vehicle interiors, and in particular to a method of installing seats and interior trim panels into a vehicle.
Passenger vehicles are generally equipped with a plurality of occupant seats. Larger passenger vehicles, such as vans and sport utility vehicles, commonly have multiple rows of seats. Commonly, each row includes either a relatively wide bench-type seat or two or three bucket-type seats. The seats can be removably mounted or permanently mounted to the vehicle. Typically, if a vehicle has three rows of seats, the last or rear row of seats is removably mounted to provide a relatively large cargo area when the seats are removed. The seats have lower frame members which are directly fastened to the floor of the vehicle. Each vehicle platform includes specific mounting locations positioned on the floor of the vehicle. Commonly, these floor mounting locations are generally unique to each vehicle platform due to the size and shape of the interior of the vehicle, and the size and shape of the seat. Therefore, the lower frames of the seats are designed with mounting locations specific for the mounting locations of the vehicle platform in which the seats are installed. Since most vehicle manufactures have many types of vehicle platforms, there is a relatively large number of different seats having unique mounting locations. This inventory of different seats can be costly to the vehicle manufacture due to design and inventory costs of the different seat styles.
In the past, to convert a pre-existing seat design to fit into another vehicle platform other than the one the seat was initially designed for, the seat frames or the vehicle floor couplings were redesigned to match the corresponding mounting locations. This redesigning can be costly due to the rigorous safety criteria that must be met for seat structures under relatively large impact loads. Thus additional testing is typically required to ensure that the redesign conforms the required safety standards.
Vehicle interiors have various trim panels to cover the structural framework of the vehicle. The trim panels are manufactured in various sizes and contours to accommodate the particular section of framework that the trim panels are covering. The trim panels are often configured to cover consistent contours of the framework, and many trim panels are used to cover a relative small area of framework, for example, around the periphery of a window. Costs of the vehicle can increase due to the time required to install the relatively large amount of panels. The trim panels can be a simple covering or can incorporate convenience features, such as storage compartments, drink holders, ashtrays, electrical connections, and lights. Although the trim panels are fastened to the framework of the vehicle by a generally permanent connection, the trim panels are often removably fastened to accommodate replacement of the trim panels or to permit access behind the trim panels for repairs of structures behind the trim panel. The trim panels are typically designed to overlap at the edges of adjacent trim panels, for aesthetic and securement reasons. Due to the overlapping design of the trim panels, it is customary, but undesirable, to remove multiple trim panels even though access behind a single panel is desired.